


quadrants

by derseroyalty



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Gang AU, M/M, homestuck quadrants, some violence later bc y'know. gangs.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-02-11 06:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12929124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/derseroyalty/pseuds/derseroyalty
Summary: they’re dangerously compatible and sometimes it’s difficult to stay in a certain type of love for one another.maybe it’s a good thing that they’re pretty much perfect for each other.





	1. infinite possibilites

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone!
> 
> okay so here's the gist; homestuck quadrants are my favorite thing to write. it's four romances with vastly different purposes.
> 
> red/flushed, aka matespritship, is basically a romantic partner that's decently sweet and sappy.
> 
> pale, aka moirallegiance, is your best friend that you'd do anything for and talk with them through all their problems.
> 
> ashen, aka auspisticism, is when two people can't get along and someone has to make sure their relationship stays stable.
> 
> black/caliginous, aka kismesissitude, is two people who hate each other but there's also sexual/romantic tension with the two. it's like a rivalry with making out.
> 
> vacillations are when people flip-flop between quadrants. it’s pretty natural sometimes.
> 
> I've grouped the boys together and hoo boy. it's fun.

Despite being Los Santos' most feared gang leader, Evan Fong truly has no time for quadrants.

He ran the BBS Gang; shortened for Banana Bus Squad. The ironic part was the fact that people only knew 'BBS' and not the actual name of it.

When he had first started the gang, he met a man who bashed in someone's knees with a baseball bat and no remorse. He had no fear, a shitload of courage, and a stomach that could handle pure vodka. Of course he had to join, with his dumbass pig mask and ears included.

His name was Wildcat. After learning about code names, Evan realized he'd need his own so he chose Vanoss and donned an owl mask. A strong and powerful duo, they rose through the ranks of Los Santos and started to gain a reputation. Evan had earned Wildcat's trust and got his full name; Tyler Wine, a guy who had dealt with shit in the past he'd like to forget. 

One night, after the cops had lost them from a simple convenience store robbery, they stumbled upon a man in an alley who had his pants down and was standing on top of another guy. They would've left, but Tyler and Evan had better morals than that, so they put on the brass knuckles and beat the shit out of the guy.

After they left the near rapist close to death, they helped the second dude and escorted him to a park bench. He had been drugged and was woozy. Evan and Tyler stayed with him until the poor guy had slept off the drug, offering him water and snacks.

The man, shocked and in a bit of awe that two infamous gang members had saved him, offered to patch up their injuries in exchange for saving his life. They learned his name was Brock and in the end, Evan and the rest of the crew would not hesitate to kill someone for their dear friend and medic.

Along came a guy named Marcel, who brought a few people called Scotty, Anthony, and Craig. They were about to start a gang themselves but realized they needed a proper leader. Their boldness was put to the test when Evan took the four of them on a simple heist mission and Craig had tackled Tyler down so he didn’t get shot.

Marcel himself had taken a bullet for Evan and after Brock had patched him up, Evan announced they were definitely part of the crew and that was that.

A guy named Brian showed up on their doorstep with two others named Nogla and Lui. Brian specialized in snipers, Nogla was good at being bait and hiding several knives and guns on him, and Lui was unnaturally good at starting fires and weapons.

Evan’s crew was finally coming together. They were one big family, always willing to take injuries for another and make sure they were safe.

Evan was smart and able to strategize with Tyler as his right hand man. They were the original two, the unstoppable duo, and nothing could ever take them down.

That was...until someone foiled one of their heists.

Three people singlehandedly stopped them in their tracks, stole half the money, and took off without a word.

Reports came in; one wore an omega blindfold, one had a grinning devil’s face with an X over one of the eyes, and the last guy had a Jason Voorhees mask.

Evan was entranced. Who the SHIT had managed to hijack his plans? He HAD to meet them, no matter the consequences!

The second to last group to join were two newbies that were on the run from a smaller gang. Evan learned they were both good at hacking, so he sent Marcel after them. In exchange for safety and a home among the BBS, the two kids named Lucas and John (or Smitty and Kyroz, as they liked to be called) hacked several mainframes to hunt down the trio.

And find them they did. A day later, Evan stormed the compound they were staying at, and asked them to join.

It only took a few hours (and a shitload of food) to convince them, and by then they had learned their codenames; Ohm, Cartoonz, and Delirious.

Delirious was a goddamn enigma. No matter what, he couldn't figure him out, and then came a period of time between heists that finally let them rest and allowed Evan to spend quality time with his family.

And that was when he’d realized that his entire gang had fallen into quadrants.

* * *

“SMITTY! STOP BEING GROSS AND HELP ME OUT!” Marcel screeches at the top of his lungs. Evan, sitting at the lunch table with cereal halfway to his mouth, pauses and looks over into the living room.

Smitty and Kyroz were laying together in a pile, slightly drowsy and barely awake. There’s a clatter next to Evan as Tyler plops into the chair. “What is it today?”

“Pale, I think.” Kyroz snickers. “We don’t even know.”

The front door to their base opens and Cartoonz comes waltzing in with Ohm and Delirious right behind him. “We brought fried chicken from that new place down the street.”

Most of the boys were out doing whatever they wanted, so that left only a few of them in the hideout. It’s just Evan, Tyler, Marcel, the masked trio, and the couple that couldn’t decide on one quadrant.

There’s the sound of footsteps and Brock appears, yawning. “Is it lunch already?”

“You slept in,” Evan replies, amused as he watches their medic’s eyes shoot open. 

“Crap!” He curses, making everyone laugh. "I hope I didn't miss anything!"

"It's our day off, nothing has happened—" Evan gets cut off by the front door getting thrown open. Nogla comes hustling in with Craig in his arms, who's weakly trying to stop the blood dripping from his side. Lui's dragging Brian in; the Irishman is complaining loudly, struggling to stay on both feet.

In an instant, the crew gets to work. Smitty and Kyroz break apart to come running over. The former grabs Evan's bowl of cereal and sets it on the counter. The latter fetches the first-aid kit and hands it to Brock, eyes dark. Ohm, Cartoonz, and Delirious have their weapons pulled out and guard the front door.

Tyler throws everything else off the table, Evan sets a blanket down, Nogla lays Craig on the blanket, and Brock tends to his patient. Lui helps Brian hobble to a chair and sit down.

"What happened," Tyler snarls. "Who the FUCK hurt them?"

"Some old rogues who weren't part of a gang," Lui answers, nodding his thanks to Marcel as he comes jogging over with an ice pack. "They recognized us and fired some shots. Craig shoved Daithi out of the way and got hit; Brian took off after the guys and sprained his ankle. That didn't stop him though; this dumbass had one of the greatest tackles I've ever seen. We all carry our brass knuckles and goddamn, Brian."

"Totally worth it," Brian snickers. His expression drops as he watches Brock get the bullet out. "Is...is he..."

"He'll be fine," Brock promises. Evan notices the way Brian's eyes soften and he leans closer to Craig, breathing in his warmth. One of Craig's hands comes up, shaking, and Brian grasps onto it like it's the end of the world.

Next to Evan, Tyler stiffens and leaves. Nogla looks over and huffs. "He's an idiot."

"Why's that?" Evan frowns, glancing back at his second-in-command.

Nogla rolls his eyes and gestures to the two boys. "They're obviously pale, not red. Tyler can't get his head out of his ass to see that."

Evan blinks. “Wait, what?”

Smitty bursts out laughing. “You haven’t noticed? Tyler’s red for him! Or black, but it depends on how they’re doing.”

“And Brian is very pale for Craig.” Nogla adds, snickering. “Literally everyone knows about this.”

“I’m a little offended that I didn’t know,” Evan says, a bit hurt. “Anything else that I should know?”

“You’re our leader Ev, we thought you already knew.” Brian manages to say as he continues to hold Craig’s hand. “Well, Tyler’s red and black for Craig, Nogla and Lui are moirails, and I think Cartoonz and Delirious are also pale?”

“We are,” Cartoonz confirms. “And I’m red with Ohm.”

They all glance over at Marcel, who suddenly finds an interest in his shoes.

“C’mon Marcel, we all know.” Smitty laughs. 

“Fine!” He snaps. “I’m red and pale with Scott.”

The crew looks over at Evan, who’s still surprised. “All you guys...”

“Do you not have anyone in your quadrants?” Brock asks as he stitches up Craig's side. “We know you’re super busy with planning heists, we just thought you’d find someone to blow off steam with either black or pale.”

“That’s what we all thought,” Kyroz admits. “Sorry dude. Do you want us to find you a moirail or a kismesis?”

“No, I’m fine.” Evan manages. “And switching between two quadrants...is that normal?”

“Depends on the quadrant. Red and black is the most obvious one, and anything involving pale is a bit strange but people make it work.” Lui gives a half-hearted shrug. 

Nogla comes over to Craig, who’s still laying on the table. Stitches done, it’s obvious he’s exhausted so he’s fallen asleep while holding Brian. 

The Irishman gently moves Craig’s hand away, ignoring the angry snarl from Brian. “Calm the fuck down,” Nogla rolls his eyes. “I’m just taking him to bed.”

It’s apparently the wrong choice of words because Brian struggles to get up, sprained ankle be damned. “I’ll make a pile or some shit, let me go!” He shouts as Marcel gently holds him back. 

Evan sighs and walks on over. “I’ll carry you if you’ll stop whining like a bitch.”

Brian stops fighting and grins. “That’s fair.”

Taking care to not slam Brian’s ankle into anything, Evan lifts him up and follows Nogla upstairs. The two of them head to Brian’s room where they open the door and walk on in.

Brian struggles out of Evan’s grasp and hobbles to his bed, where he tosses blankets and pillows around. After a minute or two, he gets into bed and Nogla lays Craig down with him.

The pale vibes are apparently so strong that Evan takes a step back, shaking his head. Nogla, safe due to his own moirail and is apparently immune, grins and pats their leader on the back, leading him out of the room.

“They’ll be fine,” Nogla promises. “But I think you need a moirail. Or at least a kismesis.”

Evan, still so exhausted from their most recent heists, sighs and shakes his head. “I think I’m too intimidating for that. People look at me and think I’ll immediately kill them or something.”

“Then let’s go to a place where no one will even know you’re you,” Nogla gives him a thumbs up.

“Clubbing?” Evan asks, and laughs as the Irishman nods enthusiastically. “That’s fine, we haven’t been in a while.”

“Yes!” He throws his fist into the air and hurries off.

Evan leans against the wall and slides down, sitting in the hallway. He really is busy; no one can keep up with him and his lifestyle. He refuses to subject anyone to this.

“Vanoss?”

He looks up and spots a masked man at the end of the hallway; it’s Delirious, with eyes so blue they could drown him. Evan works his mouth for a moment before responding, “Yeah?”

“Daithi said we’re all going clubbing. You want us to go?” Delirious asks, tilting his head a bit. “I don’t think any of us have gone out with you guys other than heists.”

"You're welcome to join us," Evan says warmly. "I don't know if you think that we just asked you guys to join just for firepower; if you'd like to be part of this family, then yeah! You can go with the masks or without. I don't think they'll mind."

Delirious giggles and it sends a shock through Evan. His laugh was absolutely chaotic, terrifying, and...delirious.

"Yeah, we'll go. And we won't wear the masks." Delirious snickers. Evan thinks he winks behind the mask but he can't tell. Del leans his head towards the room where Brian and Craig were. "Pale pile?"

"How'd you know?" Evan asks, impressed. 

Delirious shrugs. "Moirails have a general idea of others. We know the days where Smitty and Kryoz feel like it, or when Marcel and Scotty do as well. It's kinda like a sixth sense. Pale crushes are also easier to see. For instance, people with moirails knew immediately that Brian had a big fat crush on Craig. The running joke is, we knew that Craig had one back."

Evan straightens up and stares in surprise. "Wait, really? I had no idea..."

Delirious shakes his head mournfully. "You really are oblivious, aren't you? Well, I'll be with Cartoonz getting ready. See ya later, Hoodini."

He waves as he leaves and Evan can only watch him go, a lump in his throat as he tries to plan out his evening.

* * *

It takes about an hour and a half for the boys to get ready for the club. Brock's elected to stay behind and take care of Brian and Craig. When he made his decision, Ohm and Cartoonz cooed at him until Brock, with bright red cheeks, grabbed some snacks and headed off.

"Another relationship I don't know about?" Evan asks Tyler, who laughs loudly. "A budding one. Poor Brocky's red for the other idiot Irishman."

"No shit? I probably should've seen that coming. You're red for Craig, aren't you?" He asks and gets Tyler's middle finger to his face. 

"You're not my moirail so it ain't your business," Tyler says immediately. "I'm dealing with that myself. We've got a club to get to, let's go!"

His second-in-command hurries off and Evan unknowingly frowns.

The gang knows how to clean up nicely. When they had first started out, Brock was super pissed at all the bloodstains on their clothes and the small puddles of blood so he taught them how to clean it up nice and neat. They transferred that knowledge to their regular clothes and made Brock proud.

It was a good thing too; Evan and a few others often came home very late at night, sneaking in with blood dripping. Another job done so they'd freshen up and go to bed.

Evan shakes off his thoughts and heads to Tyler's giant truck, getting into the passenger seat as Tyler heads off. Cartoonz had let them know that they'd meet them there. It's him, Ty, Marcel, John, Smitty, and Nogla and Lui were in the seats behind the backseat. 

"We basically shoved you in the trunk," Smitty laughs as they roll down the windows. It's a lovely night out; the neon lights are bright as they zoom down the street and the moon is a glowing orb in the sky. For a moment, Evan can forget that he's the infamous Vanoss, the guy who's killed plenty of people for money, weapons, and various other things.

They pull up to the club and the bouncer automatically lets them in. The bass shakes the dance floor and the boys mingle into the crowd. "Go find someone to bang or make out with!" Tyler yells in his ear before he vanishes. 

Evan just laughs and heads to the floor, letting himself sway back and forth to the beat. He's listening to the music and gasps as someone's arms snake around his waist. "Hey babe," someone purrs in his ear. "Wanna get out of here?"

He turns in surprise and stares into a pair of ocean blue eyes. They're bright and gleaming, staring into his soul. The man's hair is cropped and oh my god, he's gorgeous. Evan feels his mouth go dry and he just puts his arms around the guy. 

"Or do you just wanna gimme a kiss?" The guy snickers. It sounds very familiar but Evan can't place it. He's just too distracted and fuck, he needs to kiss him. 

Without warning, Evan grabs the guy and presses his lips to him. The guy's eyes widen but then he wraps his arms around Evan, shoving his tongue into his mouth. 

They both make out furiously on the dance floor. People around them whisper and smile as they let them have their space. Evan can feel all the tension drain from him as he tries to gain dominance over the guy, feeling an emotion rise up that he can't describe.

After a minute or two, they break apart, and Evan's eyes darken as he stares at the guy. His lips are red and swollen and he has a giant grin on his face. "See ya later, babe." He winks and strides off. Evan just gasps and struggles to go after him, trying to shove his way through the crowd. "Wait! Come back!"

The guy just laughs and waves, blowing him a kiss. "You'll see me sooner than you think!"

The gang leader stares after him and slumps as Nogla makes his way through the crowd and pats him on the back. "It's alright dude. That was a crazy make out session though."

Evan glares at him and Nogla raises up his hands in defense. "Hey man, it was! Ask any of us!"

He looks over at the bar and sighs as he spots part of his gang waving and cheering. "Son of a bitch."

* * *

The boys stay for about an hour and a half, partying and laughing and jeering at people. Evan just can't get his mind off the guy. Something burns in his chest; it's not anger? He just doesn't KNOW what it IS.

"Something up?" Smitty sits down at the bar with him. Evan just opens his mouth and then slams his head down onto the bar.

"Yeah, big mood. Was it with the stranger?" Smitty raises an eyebrow. "What even happened?"

"I don't know!" Evan cries, frustrated. "We just made out and then I got this weird feeling in my chest. I wanted to, well, dominate I guess? I wanted to be the better one?"

"Oh! You're having black feelings," Smitty grins. "If you find that guy again, he might be a good kismesis!"

"Hello everyone," a smooth voice makes both Canadians look up. A guy with an incredible beard comes walking up with another handsome man on his arm. "How's it going?"

 _"Cartoonz?"_ Smitty gasps. "Holy FUCK you're beautiful. And OHM? Damn baby, just let me tap that ass." 

Cartoonz bursts out laughing while Ohm narrows his eyes. "Square up, Smitters!" 

"And for the record, it's Luke." Cartoonz adds. "Ohm's name is Ryan."

"Ryan?" Smitty snickers. "I think you owe me a dance, fucker."

Ryan drops Luke's arm, snatches Smitty, and hurries off to the dance floor. Luke just grins and pats Evan on the shoulder. "He's so black for him that it's hilarious. Anyways, Jon should be around the corner."

"Jon?" Evan echoes, eyes wide as he spots the guy sprinting towards them. 

It's...oh, for fuck's sake.

"Hey guys," Jon (it's Delirious and Evan's actually going to die right then and there) laughs loudly. "I just had to freshen up, I was making out with someone super hot."

This is going to be a long night.


	2. pale pink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love y'all!!
> 
> I got a question about smitty/kyroz; yeah they're vacillating lol. they basically can’t settle being romantic lovers or being each other’s best friend so they jump between the two.
> 
> uhhh the vacillating couples are those two, marcel/scotty, tyler/craig, and our main couple themselves
> 
> HEY SO IT SNOWED IN TEXAS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS AND IVE BEEN JUMPING AROUND FOR A LONG TIME IM SO HAPPY

The morning after, Evan wakes up with a headache, Aleve, and a glass of water on his nightstand. He's in bed, curled up and thankfully in a darkened room.

His phone buzzes; it's noon and the brightness has been dimmed. Evan cracks open his eyes and sighs as he checks his phone. 

Brock: Are you up yet? 

Evan: wish I wasn't 

Evan: so uh 

Evan: about last night 

Brock: Yes, you made out with Delirious, and yes, you got wasted. We all saw it happen. 

Evan: brock how do quadrants even work? what the shit dude. 

Brock: If you meet me in the kitchen for pancakes I can do my best to talk about them. 

Evan wastes no time in getting up, breathing in as he drinks the Aleve and heads to the kitchen. True to his word, Brock's standing there with an apron and humming as he sets finished pancakes on the table. "Who's all here?" Evan asks wearily, sitting down with a yawn. 

"Tyler's still sleeping and Brian's taking a shower. Nogla might be here as well," Brock answers with a smile. "Everyone else is out doing stuff. How are you doing?"

“Tired. I’m not even sure what happened with Delirious? He just...showed up and I immediately had, well, black feelings I guess.” Evan gives a half-hearted shrug but digs into his pancakes the moment he closes the syrup bottle.

Brock eyes his drowned pancakes and shakes his head mournfully. “Evan, I don’t have a moirail. I can’t exactly talk about what it’s like because I don’t really feel anything personal to anyone. You guys are my family and I’m kinda like the mom to majority of you. If you need help, you gotta ask someone with a kismesis.”

Evan groans, obviously frustrated with the lack of answers. “Who’s black with who?”

At that very moment, Tyler comes walking in with only boxers and a t-shirt on. “Mornin’,” he mumbles as he sits down in a chair. “Where’s Craig?”

A lightbulb goes off in Evan’s mind.

Tyler Wine is Evan's best friend. This guy had proven himself through and through, taking stupid hits, saving his life, and doing countless other things. Vanoss was mostly passive because he left the aggressiveness to Wildcat. Evan could always find himself talking to Tyler for advice, help, and plenty of other shit. Well...what if he took it up a notch?

There's a burning urge to sit down with Tyler and talk to him about his feelings. He wants to get Tyler's advice and see what he says; he wants to listen to Tyler and help him out as best he can. 

Only him, just him. They've been best friends since the start of the gang and that's how they would die. (Hopefully not soon, since Evan has a very tight-knit group that's good at what they do.)

“Tyler?” He cautiously asks, and Brock’s eyes widen. His medic won’t say anything, but he’s always known that Tyler has pale feelings for Evan.

And with a nudge from himself, Evan could open his heart to the possibility of a moirail.

Brock quickly excuses himself and silently wishes them luck.

Tyler stares at Brock and then back at Evan. He takes a bite of pancakes and exhales slowly. “Yeah?”

“...Are you pale for me?”

He gets up as fast as he can and Evan jerks forward. “Wait! No! Hold on!”

“I know you’re not pale for me,” Tyler snaps. “Don’t act like you are.”

“That’s not the reason,” Evan breathes out. “I think it’s more of a realization that I care for you so much that I want to make sure you’re alright physically, mentally, and emotionally. Is that not what it is?”

Tyler stares at him and then he sighs, shaking his head. “You’re so fucking reckless. You’re always stressed and busy and you don’t sleep that often. I’ve known you for such a long time and I couldn’t HELP myself!! I just wanted to talk and help you.”

“I wish you would’ve told me,” Evan murmurs. He gets up, takes Tyler to the couch, and wraps both of them up in blankets. Wildcat breathes in and out as he runs a hand through Evan’s hair, relaxing in his presence. 

“I knew you barely looked at quadrants so I never bothered.” Tyler responds. “You’ve never had anybody since we started the BBS.”

“I didn’t want to subject anybody to this life,” Evan admits. “I guess I never bothered actually looking through the gang?”

“That’s fair,” Tyler grunts. “But you have no idea how much it’s sucked to walk by the heist room and want to make sure you were okay. I gotta be stone cold, y’know? I’m Wildcat, I kill people with no mercy.”

Evan snorts. “You’re also Tyler Wine, the guy who once cried because you saw a puppy on the streets and took it in. You care for him while he’s at that friend’s house—Kelly?”

“Hey, Kino is my beautiful son that I’d die for.” Tyler snaps. “Also, fuck you.”

On a whim, Evan reaches up and pats his face. Tyler freezes and tries not to laugh. “What’re you doing?”

“I’m not sure,” Vanoss shrugs. “Marveling over quadrants? Glad that you’re helping me a whole lot?”

To his surprise, Tyler rolls his eyes and wraps around Evan. “You’re a dumbass. Talk to me about Delirious, dude. What’s up with that?”

Vanoss relaxes and his mind clears. “Well...when they foiled that bank heist we had, I really wanted to know who he was. The fact that he was masked made he want to see him even more. I thought it was strange; we put on masks to fight, he never took his off. Who is he behind the mask?”

“According to you, drop dead gorgeous.” Tyler snorts, looking up as someone walks into the room. “Hey Brian.”

“Hey Tyler,” he responds and stops in his tracks. “Whoa, wait a second. Is this a pale pile? Are you guys moirails?”

Tyler glances at Evan and relaxes a bit as the latter nods with a smile. “Yep. I heard you and Craig are as well?”

“Yeah!” Brian says happily. "I'm sorry if it seemed like we were red, dude. I don't see him like that."

"It's good." Tyler waves him off, snuggling deeper into Evan's arm. "Just keep him safe. That's all I ask."

Brian nods determinedly. "I promise."

He heads out of the room and Wildcat nudges Vanoss. "More about Del, I wanna know."

Evan laughs and shakes his head. "I don't know how to describe it. That kiss literally did something to me. If anything else happens, I'll let you know. So how about you and Craig?"

Tyler squints at him but sighs. "I'm red and black for him. He's so ANNOYING and FRUSTRATING and I just wanna KISS HIM ALREADY. What do I do?"

"I'd say talk to him, but you're more of an action guy." Evan snickers. "Hm...what does he like?"

"Memes and stupid shit." Tyler says immediately. "It's so goddamn idiotic but endearing."

"He has you whipped." Evan laughs again. "Maybe something he'll wear? Something he'll always treasure?"

Wildcat screws up his nose and then nods. "Yeah, I'll do something. I think I know exactly what he'll like. Thank you, Evan."

They both lay there for a while, breathing in each other's space and not talking. Evan's a quiet guy regardless and Tyler's genuinely enjoying his company. They manage to curl up in blankets and sit in front of the TV, laughing at stupid shows. 

Vanoss is grateful for the break from heists. The days where he'd come home from close calls were the worse, when his gang would come in exhausted and pass out on the various couches. Tyler and Marcel would angrily storm off while Nogla and Brock would make the rounds and ask if everyone was alright. 

But right now, they could relax and not have to worry. No one else (other than Mini) would be hurt at this hour, since the rest of them were out doing whatever they wanted.

Evan knew he had a week tops before gunpowder would fill the air and blood would stain his fingertips again. 

Tyler's head slumps and Evan quietly laughs as he realizes his moirail has fallen asleep. 

The front door opens and Nogla comes waltzing in with Jon and Brian. Apparently they went to grab some fast food, bringing back a giant bag of McDonald's. "I'm tellin' ya, this shit is the best!" Brian insists, pulling out some fries. "They're salty as fuck."

"Just like you?" Jon asks, and then cackles as Brian nearly chokes. 

Nogla freezes when he spots Evan falling asleep on Tyler. "Shh!" He hurriedly shushes them. "They're sleepin'!"

Delirious pauses and stares at the two of them. Were they...? "Any of you know what quadrant?"

The two Irishmen grin at him. "Oh? Jealous?"

"Nah," Jon shrugs, but inside he's fuming a bit. The urge to pin Vanoss against the wall is stronger than his mind right now. "Just curious."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I saw them before I left with you guys and they both said pale." Brian grins proudly. "Our boy's growing up! I'm so proud of him!"

Delirious exhales and the burning in his chest eases up. "Think we should put them in Evan's bed?"

"Yeah, they'll have really bad creaks in their necks if we leave them like this. Then Tyler's gonna be pissed and Evan's gonna be in pain for a while." Nogla nods. "I'll take Tyler, that focker is heavy."

Jon immediately goes for Evan, hoisting him up and cradling the gang leader in his arms. It's a miraculous change; instead of the deadly and terrifying Vanoss, the man in his arms is Evan, the guy who sings off-key in showers and falls asleep in random places. As Jon carries him upstairs, there's another feeling in his chest that he can't describe. It's faint and fluttering and it's not the rivalry he feels when he wants to challenge Vanoss. 

It's something...different. 

...

Oh, fuck.

Delirious groans under his breath and shuffles his weight, gently kicking open Evan's door as he sets the Canadian on his bed. Nogla follows suit and they shove the moirails under blankets and let them sleep. They both really need it. 

"Time to eat!" Brian cheers quietly. "Let's go!"

Terroriser and Nogla head downstairs while Delirious glances back at the snoozing Vanoss. He knows exactly what's happening; he's starting to vacillate for this stupid fucking idiot. 

Black, then red, and back again.

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my fav part about writing this stuff is seeing how many homestuck fans are still around
> 
> you guys have no idea how tempted I was to have Tyler and Evan black for each other but I feel like Evan sees him more as a best friend than a rival. Delirious, on the other hand; those two fuckers always stick together or single each other out. they're friendly rivals that talk shit to each other.
> 
> do I even need to explain Tyler and Craig in black (and red) bc their Mario Kart vids are plenty enough


	3. pitch black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't usually respond to comments (idk why?) but oh my god I appreciate all of you so much. thank you for giving me the inspiration and love to write stories like these. 
> 
> please just know that I love all of y'all and I'm happy to provide content for the bbs crew :))
> 
> (heart) red/flushed—matesprit (romantic partner)
> 
> (diamond) pale—moirail (best friend)
> 
> (club) ashen—auspistice (help deal with two people who're fighting)
> 
> (spade) black/pitch—kismesis (romantic rival)
> 
> I mention "waxing red" in this chapter; that's basically "starting to fall in love" in quadrant terms.
> 
> and the symbols that're used at the end of this chapter are for the red and black quadrants, it's just a shortened version lol

Two more days have to go by before Evan can really think about his feelings for Delirious.

It’s during a small heist that he’s confronted by them.

As always, peace cannot last, and pretty soon Evan is forced to be Vanoss and keep his position in Los Santos.

Smitty comes in with a request one day; one of the local banks has been stealing from his family and several others. They owed bills they had already paid, each total higher and higher. His family was going to go bankrupt.

On the side, Evan had John to confirm it and when his one of two hackers nodded, it was game time. They put on the masks and Evan searches for Delirious before they get into the car and leave.

It’s just a team consisting of him, Del, Tyler, Ohm, and Lui. Smitty, desperate to come along, jumps in for the ride and Lui takes the wheel.

“They have their vault downstairs, guarded by several security officers.” Smitty recites. “It’s Tuesday; not a lot of people should be here.”

“Watch it be the day a school group comes in to learn about money and shit,” Tyler sarcastically quips.

“We’ll be fine.” Vanoss assures them. “We’re not going to kill them. It’s just a simple heist and that’s it.”

They pull up to the bank and Smitty tugs on his mask. It's a milkbag, which covers his face and makes everyone snort. He's even put in contacts; red and blue, gleaming from his eyes. Surprisingly, it's a good disguise, so Vanoss allows it and gets out of the car. Lui wishes them luck and heads off to wait till the getaway. 

They hurry to the front doors. Wildcat kicks open the doors, shouts something ineligible, and points his gun at everyone in sight. Smitty disables the alarm systems and carries a small handgun on him. He's not a very big gun person, which pisses Ohm off so goddamn much.

"Why'd you come if you didn't even bring a bigger gun?" Ryan snaps. The urge to shove him back from this fight is overwhelming. Smitty really isn't a fighter, so why is he here??

"I'm here for justice, not to hurt anybody." The hacker responds. "Just let me have this."

"All of you get on the fucking ground!" Tyler snarls, still pointing his gun. The clerks stare in alarm and slowly put their hands up. One of them goes for the obvious red button, but it's been disabled so no help will get there for a while. "I will NOT hesitate to shoot!"

"We're not going to do that," Evan murmurs in his ear. Only noticeable to the gang leader, Wildcat relaxes a bit. "I know, but they know me and my reputation and that'll keep people from interfering."

"Fair point."

It's Delirious who marches forth, shoots through one of the code systems, and heads on downstairs. Tyler and Ryan keep guard, both of them extremely imposing and terrifying.

Evan, Delirious, and Smitty make their way to the vault. They knock out the guards with little to no effort. The code is extremely difficult but Lucas is a man on a mission so he disables it in under two minutes.

Delirious whistles, impressed, and Evan pulls open the door. 

There's so much money that piles of it reach the ceiling. They whip out the duffle bags and stuff dollar bills in, excitedly grinning as they redeem Smitty's family and get some extra cash as well. Evan's earpiece goes off; it's Lui, frantically shouting in his ear. 

_"Someone turned on the system again!"_ He yells, panicking as he revs the engine in the background. _"You gotta get outta there! The police are almost at the bank!"_

"We'll go when we get the rest of the money," Smitty growls. He shoves a few more dollar bills in but freezes as their communications lock up. Tyler’s voice crackles in his ear. _"Ev—there's—bullets—hostages—help—"_

It fizzles out and Evan swears loudly. "Son of a BITCH. We gotta get out of here."

"Wait—!" Smitty yelps, gesturing to the bags. "What do we do with these?"

"Take as much as you can!" Delirious barks. "We already have a good amount, now we just have to leave!"

As he finishes talking, the doors get thrown open and several cops file in. "Vanoss!" One of them shouts. "You are under arrest, along with Delirious and...that guy for attempting to rob this bank and threatening civilian lives!"

"Attempting?" Delirious laughs harshly. It's a bit rougher than his usual cackle, and the cops glance at each other. "You dense motherfuckers. Attempting to rob the bank? We're doing this because you've cheated people out of well-earned money and that stops TODAY. Today you guys lose and we walk away heroes to families who need one."

"If you come any closer I will shoot," a cop threatens. "Don't think about moving!"

Evan's heart quickens. He needs to get his crew out of here as fast as possible and with as little injuries they can get. In a worst case scenario, they all die right here and now. In the best case, they all get out with no deaths and the money.

He can settle for a middle-ground. 

Vanoss needs to protect his crew. Smitty's like a younger brother to him, and Delirious...

He's waxing red for him. 

It's weird, really. As Delirious, the guy with the Jason mask, he worries about his safety (he worries about all of them, but he's genuinely starting to fall for him) and wants him to stay out of the fight and kiss him.

As Jon, he's black for him. The smug asshole who knows he looks good no matter what and challenges him all the goddamn time.

He's red and black for the exact same person with two different sides.

His whole thought process lasts about two seconds. In the meantime, Smitty has his hand tightly clenched around his handgun, and Delirious is still too calm for anyone to relax. Right before Vanoss has a chance to do anything, it's Delirious who rushes forward and punches a cop in the face. There's a glint of gold; brass knuckles gleam on his hands.

Another hit and the cop goes down. Stunned, the other cops can only shriek as Delirious sends them flying to the ground. "Go!" Del snarls as he shoves Smitty past him. Vanoss covers the younger boy and tries to drag Del with him. 

"C'mon!" Vanoss urges. "You have to come with us!"

"I have to keep them down," Delirious says, bright blue eyes staring into his heart. "You have to go on without me."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Evan roars, surprising the two of them. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Trying to save your lives!" Jon spits, angrily glaring at Vanoss. "GOD you're so DIFFICULT to DEAL WITH!"

One idiot waxing red, the other waxing black. Smitty knows there's a huge fight going on upstairs but he can only watch as Evan lifts up part of his mask, snatches Jon forward, and tilts his own mask up; with an inhale of shock, Jon recovers quickly and presses his lips against Evan's.

It's an angry clash of emotions and it's beautiful. Jon's nails rake against Evan's black suit and he growls under his breath. "You asshole," Vanoss huffs. “I’m just trying to keep you SAFE.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Smitty says hesitantly, wincing as the two break apart to stare at him. “But Tyler might actually kill both of you if we don’t get out of this alive.”

“Fine,” Vanoss snatches one of the cop’s gun. “We'll talk about this later. Smitty, grab the bags. Del, cover us.”

“Roger that.” Delirious replies. There’s a hint of a smile and Smitty coughs to cover his laughter.

If he heard it, Evan gives no sign and proceeds to kick open the doors to get them out of there.

The earpiece in his ear pops and comes to life. _“Good to hear you’re still alive.”_ Kyroz’s voice makes Smitty sigh in relief. _“Tyler’s pissed and so is Ryan. Apparently Ryan would’ve never have forgiven himself if he didn’t ask out my boy, and Tyler’s just pissed in general.”_

“That sounds like them,” Delirious snickers as they duck behind pillars from the spray of bullets. "There's a window right next to me. I throw myself out, Vanoss covers us, and we help Smitty get out of here."

"Wait, no—" Evan's protests fall on deaf ears as Delirious legit flings himself out, breaking the glass and causing it to go everywhere. Smitty sighs and takes a running start, catching a bit of his arms on the shattered glass as he rolls into the grass. More cops are showing up, breaking the lock the boys had put on the front door. 

"Wildcat and Ohm must've had another exit," Vanoss murmurs, taking in the situation. "Lui, where are you?"

 _"Around the corner, boss!"_ Lui calls into his ear. _"I picked up the other two. They're both safe."_

Evan exhales at the confirmation that his moirail was safe. "We'll be running right at you. Have Ohm open the backseat."

_"Roger that!"_

Delirious grumbles as he looks at himself. His blue hoodie is stained with his own blood; there's glass shards embedded in his skin. Damn it. He'll need to shower before he puts on any Band-Aids; that shit is going to HURT. 

Their black SUV roars around the corner and they spot the door open. "Go!" Tyler barks from the front seat. "Hurry up! We gotta go!"

Vanoss grabs Smitty and Jon by their collars and hauls them to the car. The cops spot them and start screeching orders. "There they are! Get them!"

Delirious literally picks up Smitty and the duffle bags and tosses the two of them into the car. Vanoss, as the nominated leader of the BBS, shoves Del in next. "I refuse to lose you," the masked owl snaps. "You're too important to me."

Tyler, Ryan, Lui, and Smitty stare at him in shock while Delirious lifts up his mask a bit, grinning. "And you're the one I want to annoy for the rest of my life." He says smoothly. "Get your ass in the car before I hit you."

Evan's smile is the widest it's been in a while as he jumps in, shuts the door, and drives off with his squad.

* * *

Before they go back to the base, they stop by Smitty's house.

(John has already disabled the cameras so the cops can't find them. They get away scot-free and with no tails.)

The hacker gets out of the car and hurries to his front door, knocking with a bag of money. An older lady opens the door; perhaps his mother? She stares at her son for a moment before crushing him in her grasp, crying. Vanoss takes his cue and gets out of the car, taking off his mask. "Hello ma'am!" Evan says cheerfully. "Are you Smitty's mother?"

She takes in his mask, the outfit, and the car before turning to her son. "Lucas, is this the other gang you joined...?"

"Yep," Smitty pops the p. "This is Vanoss! Delirious, Ohmwrecker, and Calibre are over there in the car. They keep me safe, Mama. They're really good friends."

His mom's face pales a bit. "They're...oh. Okay. So you're gang members as well." 

"Yes ma'am." Evan reaches out his hand and his mom hesitantly shakes it. "Smit—er, Lucas, is a wonderful addition to our crew. He's a good hacker; we keep him at the base and out of danger."

She looks at Smitty, who grins. "And also I really wanted to get revenge on that stupid bank so we got something for you!"

He hands her the duffle bag. Smitty's mom unzips it and glances inside. After a moment, she gasps and drops the bag, tears welling in her eyes. "You didn't."

"I did!" He beams. "I couldn't just stand by and watch you lose well-earned money. I love you, Mom. I had to do something."

"Was...was anyone killed...?" She stares Evan down. He shakes his head with a relieved smile. "Thankfully no. A few cuts and bruises but we're all okay."

"You're the BBS gang, aren't you?" Smitty's mom asks. "Why do you live this dangerous lifestyle?"

"Because we're kinda like the Robin Hoods for people who need one," Evan answers. "We protect people that are overlooked and make them family. All the things we do? For the good of the city. There's too many corrupt people in a city like Los Santos. That's why we're here."

She nods, tears dripping down her cheeks, and turns to hug her son. "I love you very much," she whispers into his ear. "Be safe. I know we're still sad about your sister leaving, and I can't lose you too. Thank you for this."

Smitty nods and waves goodbye as he gets back in the car. He nonchalantly wipes his tears away and Ryan gently nudges him as Lui drives off. "You alright?"

"Yeah," he nods, and Ryan puts his arm around their hacker and tries to bring up the words on his tongue. 

"Smitty...would, uh, you...fuck, this is difficult." Ryan curses. Delirious glances at them before turning his attention back to Evan and Tyler. The latter is still pissed that Evan allowed himself to get stuck in the vault.

"Would you want to go on a black date...?" Ohm asks, staring at Smitty. He snorts and grins, causing Ohm to blink in surprise. "This isn't one? Well shit, guess I'll have to step up my game."

"And now I remember why I find you so goddamn annoying and lovable," Ryan sighs. 

They get back to the base where Marcel rushes out to meet them. "Oh thank god you're back!" He shouts, waving his arms in the air. "I need an auspistice, and quick!"

"Why?" Evan asks, puzzled as Lui gasps and gets out of the car as fast as he can. "DAITHI NO!" He hollers, rushing into the house. 

They head inside just in time to see Nogla and Brian growling at each other. "Get him to admit it!" Nogla shouts, pointing at the other Irishman. "He's being a big fuckin' baby!"

"Fuck you!" Brian yells back. "My quadrants are MY business!"

"Hold the fuck up!" Evan exclaims, hurrying between the two. "What's going on?"

From the couch, Kyroz groans and covers his face. "They're black flirting but it's going wrong. Someone sort their shit out please."

Vanoss fixes them with a steely look. "What's going on."

"Brock went to go get something with Mini and Brian started complaining about his red crush!" Nogla protests. "I told him to just hurry up and say something and he threw a bitch fit!"

"That's because you're always in my business!" Brian argues. "Stop lobbying pitch shit at me!"

Evan forces them to sit down while Tyler perks up in the background. "Listen to me, and listen well. I'm going to be your auspistice and both of you will NOT be able to get rid of me."

"WHAT?!" Both of them shout.

"You're damn right. I need to keep the peace between you two." Evan narrows his eyes. "If you both have a black crush, resolve it or I'll do it myself."

Nogla and Brian glare at each other and sigh. "Maybe I do," Nogla mumbles. "It's just so much fun to mess with him and sometimes I wanna kiss him."

"I'm glad we feel the same way." Brian sighs. "Great, thanks Daithi. Now we're stuck with Evan as an auspistice. Are ye happy?"

"A bit," Nogla admits. "This'll be fine."

"This is gonna be better than fine!" Tyler yells excitedly. "If Brock went with Craig, then I know EXACTLY where he's going!"

"And where's that?" Marcel looks confused. 

Tyler's grin is a bit terrifying and Evan steps closer to wrap an arm around him. "Other than those two fucks, Smitty and Ryan, and Evan and Jon, that's not gonna be the only spades couple by the end of the night."

The rest of the gang takes a few moments to process that. In the meantime, the front door opens again and Brock looks at the bloodied heist crew. "Clothes off and into the wash." He says immediately. "Also, good job Tyler."

Wildcat takes the moment to puff out his chest as Mini comes walking through the door with a stunned look on his face. He's wearing this godawful shirt with shitty coloring; in giant pink letters, it reads,  GO OUT WITH ME YOU SHIT <3 <3<

"This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life," Craig states. "And I fucking love it."

He takes a running leap at Tyler and presses himself to his lips. Next to him, Evan stares in shock at his moirail. "What the fuck," Marcel whispers. 

Smitty bursts out laughing from where he's sitting with Kyroz. "It's about time!"

Evan looks over and locks eyes with Delirious. The other takes off his mask and beckons him to the hallway, where the two of them stare each other down. "That's the second kiss I've had from you," Del smugly says. "And it was still damn good."

"So are you gonna be my kismesis or no?" Evan growls and Delirious laughs loudly as he wraps his arms around his neck. "You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried."

One day they'd talk about their red feelings, but it's thrown out the window as Evan takes Jon to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story blew up?? thank y'all lol I really appreciate it <3
> 
> smitty and ohm’s black dynamic (for me) comes from cards against humanity and mario kart lol
> 
> uh evan's latest vid is about a bank and a heist so I totally predicted the future guys because I started writing this on the 11th


	4. ashen gray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank y'all for all the support on this <3
> 
> (heart) red/flushed—matesprit (romantic partner)
> 
> (diamond) pale—moirail (best friend)
> 
> (club) ashen—auspistice (help deal with two people who're fighting)
> 
> (spade) black/pitch—kismesis (romantic rival)
> 
> merry christmas! Im sorry for the wait, I've been exhausted lately and writer's block is killing me.
> 
> if you don't celebrate christmas, then NEW YEAR'S IS GONNA BE LIT

The ashen quadrant is one Evan never really considered. He was a gang leader; this was his family. Why would he ever need to help someone's relationship?

His moirail was right; Vanoss was fixated on helping Los Santos but was oblivious to his own team. The ironic part was, everyone was well aware of that so they took it upon themselves to deal with their own quadrants.

It had gone on for about a few months. Bets were placed and Brock was currently winning with Tyler being Evan's moirail and Jon being his kismesis.

Luke and Ryan had said red for Jon and Evan, while Nogla insisted they would vacillate.

But the quadrant no one had never thought of was clubs.

The night after Evan declared himself an auspistice and gained Jon as a kismesis, the gang found their leader and the two Irishmen snoozing at the dinner table in the morning. Brock tsks and beckons Marcel, Craig, and Tyler to pick them up. Jon glances at the table and almost laughs at the piece of paper they've been working on.

"It's a contract," Delirious snickers. "He literally wrote them a contract."

"If it works, it works." Marcel laughs. "I'm glad they're not fighting anymore." 

Once again, Jon finds himself staring at the sleeping Evan. He's snoring lightly and he feels a flash of jealousy as Tyler gently adjusts his grip on his moirail, smiling softly at him. Evan is the only person that Tyler can actually relax around, and it's strange to see their most terrifying vanguard reduced to a sappy mess as he cradles his beloved moirail. 

Luke puts a hand on Jon's shoulder, and he feels himself melt into his own moirail's presence as they walk off. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Delirious replies. "Y'know, after the bank heist, I had hot sex with Evan and completely forgot about all the glass shards in me."

Luke nearly chokes on his spit and cackles. "Seriously? What happened?"

"In the heat of the moment, none of us noticed and it wasn't until afterwards that we realized that the bedsheets had blood on them as well." Jon quietly laughs. "I've never seen Brock give me such a motherly look when I had to bring the sheets down. I'm a hitman, Luke, and Brock's expression nearly brought me to tears."

"That's really how it is," Cartoonz nods with a serious expression. "Has Evan said anything about being an auspistice? It must be a weird feeling."

"Have you ever been one?" Delirious asks. He can't recall his moirail ever being an auspistice, but their lives didn't revolve around each other. Besides, there was a period of time before he met up with Ryan and Luke to commit more crimes together. "I'm not a very good meditator." 

"I have, that's why I'm wondering if Evan can do it." Luke confirms. "I had to deal with Ohm and an ex of his. They ended up splitting, but I had to make sure they were fine for a while. This quadrant is a bit...iffy."

"Obviously." Jon sighs. "Well, if Vanoss needs any help, I hope he knows not to have a stick up his ass about it. Let's get some food dude."

The moirails hold out their pointer and middle fingers and put them together, forming a diamond. They grin and head off with some of the crew, presumably to grab fast food.

* * *

When Evan wakes up in the guest bedroom, he can't help but groan and recall last night's events. Two Irishmen having an argument was not good for his headache, and the aftermath of him and Jon left him exhausted but wanting more.

Next to him, Brian sits up and rubs his eyes. “What the fuck.”

Nogla moves as well. He grumbles and runs a hand through his extremely ruffled hair; Brian looks pleased as his near kismesis can’t flatten it out.

“So is this a thing now?” Nogla sleepily asks. “What happened?”

“I wrote us a contract and then we passed out.” Evan yawns. "I legally have your signatures so therefore this is a binding contract. You two are to not put each other in danger on heists, no matter the temptation. In public, it's fine, and in this house it's fine as well but you can't destroy furniture and shit."

"We've never done that!" Nogla protests.

Brian gives him a dirty look. "You almost threw a chair at me."

"...Fuck, you're right. Never mind then."

Vanoss rolls himself out of bed and glances back at the two of them. “Get dressed. We’ve got shit to plan.”

“You don’t have to be so harsh with us,” Brian grumbles, moving before Nogla can poke him. “We’re just two people wanting to be in a quadrant but we’re both too stupid to say anything.”

“Aha!” Nogla points furiously. “You admitted it!”

“Under the contract, he technically didn’t.” Evan admits. “Until one of you actually says something, I’m still going to be your auspistice.” 

“Fuuuuck,” Brian groans. “Whatever. We'll be in the heist room in a few minutes.”

Evan nods and leaves, stretching so he can roll the kinks out in his neck. A mass text goes out to the rest of the gang, calling them to one of the biggest rooms in the house.

Within minutes of Evan sitting at the head of the table, majority of his gang assembles and sits down.

Tyler takes his spot next to Evan's seat and plops down, eyeing his moirail. “Is this the heist about...?”

“It is,” Vanoss confirms. 

Jon comes waltzing in and takes the other spot next to Evan. He gives him a crooked grin and laughs a bit as Evan glares at him. "Where have you been?"

"Busy," Delirious purrs. "What, did ya miss me?"

"Shut the fuck up," Vanoss growls. He steadies his breathing, turns to his group, and ignores the snickering. "Listen up. This is NOT a heist; I repeat, not a heist. This is an assassination mission."

The gang makes various noises of shock. There hadn’t been an assassination in a very long time. “Is it important enough for all of us?” Lui calls, eyes wide.

"Yes." Evan responds. "This has been a long time coming. We're going to kill the president."

Everyone gets shocked into silence. Ohm's jaw actually drops, and Brock looks like he's going to faint. Tyler, who knows all, struggles not to laugh.

Evan bursts out laughing. "No, I'm kidding. But we are going to go after someone. Remember the rogues that attacked Craig?"

They turn to him, and Craig winces at the ghost of his injury. "Yeah?"

"I've got word from Anthony that he's seen them before." Evan replies. "They're actually NOT rogues. They belong to a group called Storm. They all shoot to kill, and Anthony has personal experience with them."

Scotty goes a ghostly white while Marcel looks down, reaching over and holding Scott's hand. "Out of our original group...yeah, it was him."

Anthony shakily exhales. "They killed my sister. I want revenge."

"That's fair." Luke nods. "Jon, we might've run into these guys before...?"

"I think we did." Delirious hums. "But I'm better at killing people so they stood no chance against me."

"Do NOT put yourself in danger," Vanoss threatens. "If you do, I'll kill you myself. This is a simple mission. Get in, kill them, and get out."

Craig tosses a notepad onto the table. Everyone's name is written down and sorted into a few columns, roles supplied to the whole crew. "Smitty and John hacked the camera system again and found their base."

Evan turns to Smitty, who nods immediately. "They have a warehouse full of weapons and other shit. Their leader stays underground most of the time, since he knows he's on a shitload of wanted lists. But we can guide you guys directly to the base."

"Good. Mini, who's on the list?" Evan looks over at him.

Craig checks his list. "The vanguard, consisting of you, Tyler, Luke, and Marcel. We're having Lui take the chopper and Nogla along with Scotty get the getaway cars. Brian, you're our best sniper, so I'm having you go with Lui to get to a nearby building to help us out. Brock stays with Lui as well so he can help patch us up if needed. Backup is me, Anthony, Ryan, and Jon. Smitters and Kyroz are our eyes back here."

"Hold the fuck up," Jon interrupts. "Why the FUCK am I backup? I'm one of your strongest fighters!"

"And that's exactly why you're backup," Evan answers. "In case something goes wrong, I need you to come in with your usual bullshit and get us out of there." 

Delirious snarls and crosses his arms over his chest, refusing to look at anyone as Vanoss continues. "Anthony, this is going to be super personal. Do you just want him dead or do you want to join us on the front lines?"

"I don't mind," Anthony says quietly. "I'm completely fine with being backup. Just let me know when he's dead."

"Does anyone else disagree with the list?" Evan asks. "I can make adjustments if needed."

"Do ye need us to stay in an alley or no?" Nogla speaks up from his spot next to Lui. "I'm good with being backup driver. Scott, you with me?"

"Hell yeah dude, I'm up for it." The guy in question grins from next to Marcel. "As long as that fucker is dead, I don't care."

"Then that's settled. We leave in two hours." Evan adjourns and the boys head out to get ready. He turns to his moirail and kismesis and starts in surprise as Jon glares angrily at him and Tyler just raises an eyebrow.

"What?" Evan protests.

Wildcat gets up and pats him on the shoulder. "He's pissed off and I'm not about to get caught up in a black rivalry. See you guys later."

His beloved moirail heads off and Evan is forced to look back at the one person he wants to kiss. "Are you mad at me?"

"A bit," Jon spits. "I'm damn good at being on the vanguard. What, just because I'm in a quadrant with you makes you want to protect me all of a sudden?"

"Dumbass," Evan narrows his eyes. "Tyler's with the main group. Look, people know Tyler's reputation. It's made for some wonderful intimidation tactics. But you're our wildcard, dude. Wildcat can bash people with a baseball bat and shoot everybody in a room. Delirious is sneaky and goes in with guns blazing as well. In case something goes wrong, you come in and blow the whole place up."

Jon looks away, and Evan gently cups his face, feeling soft, warm love rise up in place of the spades. "I know you want to be out there. I get it, y'know. I just want you to understand my reasoning."

"I get it," Delirious sighs. "It's a good plan. But next heist I better be on the vanguard."

"Deal. Let's get some weapons." Evan presses a soft kiss to the corner of Jon's lips, turning away. Before he can get far, however, Jon wraps his arms around Evan's neck, tugs him back in, and goes for a very flushed make out session.

When they break apart, Evan's hair is a ruffled mess and Jon just laughs as he kisses him again. "C'mon Casanova, let's go kill some bitches."

* * *

Focused and full of bravery, the Banana Bus Squad were a powerhouse that Los Santos had never seen before. The gang was full of talented people that had come together to become a family. 

They had elected Evan as leader with Tyler as his second-in-command. He kept them together along with the bonds he had made, and they would be put to the test as they expanded their territory and made allies along with enemies. 

This mission was the exact same. Evan expected the entire team to have his back and he would always have theirs as well.

Scotty pulls up near the base, parking at a corner. In their earpieces, Smitty relays several remarks about guards and how Lui had gotten Brian to his spot. 

_"The guards are switching rotations in about thirty seconds,"_ Kyroz comments. _"That's your best opportunity to go in. Be ready."_

"Roger that." Evan replies. He turns to the vanguard. Jon, Luke, and Ryan quickly whisper good luck while Tyler pulls Craig up, kissing him soundly before letting go. "You better come back to me," Craig snaps while Tyler chuckles. "For you, always."

Marcel squeezes Scotty's hand. "Be safe," the former urges his moirail and matesprit. "I love you."

"I love you too, idiot." Scotty retorts. "I'm also not the one going into this asshole's base. If you can, kick him in the nuts for me, okay?"

"For you and your old friend, I promise." Marcel kisses his cheek. "I'll be back soon."

Evan turns to see his own kismesis walk up. The gang watches as Jon hesitates before tugging him forward, kissing him deep and full of passion. "I love you," Jonathan says roughly. "I will raise hell if you get killed, and then I'll kill you myself."

"Romantic," Vanoss snickers, and laughs a bit as Delirious smacks him and then puts on his hockey mask. 

Vanoss puts on his own owl mask before the earpiece crackles again. _"It's a go! Rush through the entrance, Smitty's disabling the cameras as I speak. You have a solid two minutes before they go back on."_ John says urgently. 

"Good luck!" Evan says briskly before heading with the vanguard to the warehouse. Tyler flanks his left while Marcel was on his right, Luke covering their back. A red dot glows briefly on the front door before vanishing; Brian, giving them a signal that he was with them always.

For a solid ten seconds, it's deadly quiet. It's the calm before the storm. 

Evan kicks open the front door, and all hell breaks loose.

Tyler immediately kills the guy closest to him. Gunfire rings out, and all the cameras power down. Marcel shoots a few more people before hurrying by, trying to maneuver his way around walls. "This way!" He calls out, shoving Luke past him. 

"How's it going outdoors?" Evan shouts into his comm, listening to his crew yelling. _"There's a shitload of people!"_ Craig answers. _"Terroriser and Delirious are saving our asses out here."_

Luke, the one with better memory, kicks a guard as he turns down a hallway and descends into an uncovered opening that Marcel found. "The blueprint said there's a basement here," he growls, leading with his gun as he heads into the basement. 

More armed guards give proof that the leader is indeed down here. "Smitty, we're downstairs." Tyler mutters into his comm. "What now?"

 _"Give em hell."_ Smitty says simply. _"For Anthony, for all of us."_

A gunshot rings out; Marcel stumbles, eyes wide as he looks at the blood dripping from his shoulder. "Oh, fuck."

Luke quickly fires off shots and Tyler covers Evan as he rushes to his friend's aid. Marcel's staring at his shoulder. "Is it gonna scar?"

"That's the least of your worries," Evan mutters as he applies pressure. 

None of them notice a silencer pointing straight at Evan. A man appears from the shadows, still pointing the gun. He adjusts his suit and looks pleased as he notices there's no wrinkles. After another moment, he puts his finger on the trigger and fires. 

A lot of things happen in a second. It takes one for Luke to shoot one guard, and another to shoot the other one. It takes three seconds for Tyler to notice the gun. It takes four for Tyler to leap in front of Evan, screeching at the top of his lungs.

It takes five for the bullet to hit its mark.

* * *

There's screaming and wailing as Jonathan yells into his own comm, eyes wide as he removes a knife from someone's skull. "SMITTY! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" He shouts, looking at Craig and Anthony. Ohm's yelling into his comm, killing an enemy as he does so. 

Panda looks like he's choking back tears as Mini screams, running towards the warehouse. "WILDCAT!"

 _"I DON'T KNOW!"_ Smitty screams from his end. John's shouting in the background as well, the sound of keyboard clicking loud and clear. _"I CAN'T SEE THEM! DEFENSES WENT BACK UP AND NO ONE'S ANSWERING!"_

The crew is dismantling quickly. Scotty and Nogla are stuck in their positions, not daring to move. Lui can't take off because he'll give Brian and Brock away. 

Anthony, Craig, and Ryan are out of commission; two of them were taking refugee behind some crates, crying for their various people in quadrants, while Anthony was doing his best to protect them both. 

It's up to Delirious.

"Oh for fuck's sake," he breathes out, making sure his brass knuckles are secure and his knives are there before he hurries off to the basement. 

The vanguard doesn't usually mess up. Everyone in the front area is dead, either immediately or bleeding out slowly onto the floor. Delirious grabs someone's handgun before making sure it was loaded. When the barrel spins, he grins and heads off, following the trail of bodies.

He creeps to the basement and spots Luke shoved against a wall. Marcel's leaning against his legs, breath coming short as he presses a hand to his bloodied shoulder. Jon peers around the corner and nearly stops breathing as he spots a crumpled Vanoss on Wildcat, sobbing and wrapped around his moirail. 

"Well, well, well," a man purrs as he steps into the light. Delirious tightens his grip on the gun as he glares at the man in a suit. His hair's slicked back and his eyes are a deep brown, looking nearly black. He holds the calm manner of a terrifying gang boss that held no mercy for anyone. "So this is the infamous Vanoss, yes?"

"Leave him ALONE," Marcel snarls as he tries to get up. Luke puts a hand on his shoulder, eyes dark. Delirious feels the tug from every single quadrant; his moirail is in danger but his kismesis (and hopefully soon to be matesprit) is even worse. There's no way he could get all of them out of there!

In his ear, Smitty and John have gone horribly silent. It seems like the world has paused to see what the infamous H2O Delirious would do. 

He takes a deep breath as the man and Marcel keep talking. "The most infamous gang leader in all of Los Santos," the man proclaims. "And he's crying like a bitch at my feet."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Marcel howls. "WHAT DO YOU EVEN WANT FROM LOS SANTOS?!"

"Power," the guy shrugs. "Money. For people to fear me. But why, if I may ask, did you come after me in the first place?"

"You killed my friend's younger sister," Marcel spits a bloody clot at the man's pristine shoes. "This is revenge for that."

"I'm sorry, but I don't remember killing her! She's just one in many." The man says pleasantly. "My somewhat apologizes."

"I'm going to slit your throat," Luke rumbles from where he's standing. Delirious knows his moirail can't do anything; the moment Cartoonz moves, the man shoots all of his friends and then everything's over. 

Jon gently whispers into his comm, careful to use codenames in case someone else was listening. "Get Calibre and Daithi on standby. Tell 407 to grab the backup and leave. Have Moo get his first-aid kit ready, we're going to need it."

 _"Roger that,"_ Kyroz whispers back. _"Good luck dude."_

Delirious takes another breath before readying his weapons and strolling out into the open. "So hey, I couldn't help but overhear your really shitty monologue, and I have a few pointers for ya."

The guy's face actually drops, eyes widening for a second as he takes a step back. "You're...H2O Delirious."

"Oh good! You've heard of me." Delirious says happily, watching as Luke's face lights up and Marcel sighs in relief. "I'm glad my reputation precedes me."

Vanoss looks up from Tyler's body and although the mask hides every emotion on his face, the tear tracks are visible all the way down his chin. "Delirious?" He croaks, still curled around his own moirail.

From behind the mask, Delly winks, and turns back to the guy. "I never got your name!"

"Mike," The man responds, regaining his composure as he casually waves his gun around. "I'm a man of good character and it seems you don't have any weapons on you."

"You must not be very good then," Delirious remarks. "I have a total of six weapons on me and I can also snap your neck. The funny thing is, you really don't deserve the sweet release of an easy death, so I'll make you suffer a bit before you die. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Mike looks a bit scared but he doesn't let it show that well as he points the gun at him. "I could kill you right here, right now." 

"You could! But then you'd have my moirail kill you the second after I died, and my matesprit/kismesis would set fire to your entire crew and slaughter everyone you love with no mercy just like you do." Delirious smiles. "Then my friend over there would get everyone out of here and you'd lose."

Fear was a very important tactic, and it made people do crazy things. Every sense is heightened which either led to panic attacks or something incredible happening. Delirious purposely looks over Mike's shoulder and grins. "Glad to see you again."

Mike makes his fatal mistake and frantically looks over his shoulder, trembling. It's all Delirious needs as a knife flies out of his hoodie pocket and lodges itself in Mike's stomach. Another knife finds its home in his shoulder, a third in his stomach, and a final one in his chest. The gun goes flying across the room. 

Luke jumps into action, grabbing Marcel and Evan as they help get Tyler out of the basement. "Brian, we need you to cover us! Lui, get the chopper down here." 

_"Del already briefed us, everyone's waiting outside."_ Kyroz says back. _"The backup crew is here; Smitty is trying to calm them down. Please tell me some good news because we both almost passed out."_

Delirious pays no attention to either of them, instead stalking his way to Mike. He giggles and Mike chokes on blood, trying to back up as crimson blood soaks into his suit. "Please!" Mike begs, tears filling his eyes. "I'll do anything you want!"

At that, Delirious lets a laugh bubble up, rising from his chest and making him cackle until his own tears form in his eyes. It's a terrifying laugh and it never fails to strike fear into people, including his own family. "Then perish," he says simply, and goes to town with his brass knuckles. 

Marcel hobbles over and delivers a solid kick to Mike's balls, grinning as the man screeches in even more pain. "That's for Anthony!" He shouts as Luke drags him away. 

The relentless assault goes on for a few more minutes before Luke comes back, placing a hand on his moirail's shoulder. "Hey," he murmurs, and pats his cheek. Delirious immediately calms down and exhales, looking down at the remains of what used to be Mike. "Oh shit."

"Oh shit is right. That was probably one of the most terrifying things I've ever seen you do." Cartoonz admits. "But you saved all of our lives. We'll talk later, Nogla's waiting for us."

The two make their way out of the warehouse and to the waiting car. Delirious cranes his neck and spots Lui's chopper heading off into the distance. "Is Tyler going to be alright?" He asks, heart dropping as he thinks of their beloved badass pig before getting into the backseat. 

From the front seat, Nogla breathes a sigh of relief. "I have word that you got him out of there just in time. Another ten more minutes..."

Marcel's curled up next to Jon while Luke takes shotgun. "I'm assuming Evan went with him?" Jon asks again. 

"Yep. He was losing his shit. Refused to go in the car. Brian joined Lui in the cockpit so that left Evan and Brock to deal with Tyler." Nogla answers, pulling out of the warehouse's parking lot and heading home. "Marcel, how bad are your injuries?"

"They hurt like a bitch but they're probably not life-threatening." Marcel shrugs. "I'll be fine. I've probably had worse."

Luke looks back and laughs loudly. "Scotty's going to kill you."

"I'm okay with that."

They make it back to home base and Nogla parks the car, helping Marcel get out. From the porch, Scott and Ryan are leaning on each other, looking at the streets nervously. When they spot their loves, they both hurry down the stairs and into their arms. 

Ryan clings onto Luke and presses his face into his matesprit's chest, clutching his shirt like it's his lifeline to the world. "I thought I lost you," Ohm whispers. Luke just kisses the top of his head and holds him.

Next to Delirious, Scotty screeches at the top of his lungs. "YOU FUCKING _IDIOT!!"_

"Aw c'mon babe," Marcel laughs. "I'll be fine after Mama Brock patches me up. I didn't think I was going to get shot anyways." 

"That's why you're supposed to be safe!!" Scott snaps. "Babe, what the FUCK!"

"He caught all of us off guard," Luke cuts in. "It's not just Marcel. He got everyone off guard."

The group heads into the house, where Brock's treating Tyler on a blanket on the table. Evan's pacing back and forth, tears streaming down his face. His mask lays discarded and off to the side. Apparently Lui's offered to be Brock's assistant due to the fact that his hand is currently setting a bullet down on part of the blanket. 

Craig and Brian are curled around each other on the couch. Mini's still crying as Brian wipes his tears away, whispering words of comfort into his ears. 

It's Delirious' turn to comfort his own love. Before he makes his way to Vanoss, he stops by Anthony, who's sitting with Smitty. "I want you to know that the fucker is dead." Delirious says to him. "I stabbed him several times before bashing his face in with my brass knuckles. Before he died at some point, Marcel kicked him in the balls. I hope it's enough for you."

Anthony laughs and it brings a sense of joy back into their home, even if temporary. "It's more than enough; _thank you."_ He wraps his arms around the masked man and squeezes him into a hug. Delirious takes off the mask and smiles, hugging back. 

When they break apart, he heads to Evan and wraps his arms around his waist. "Hey," he mutters into his ear, and he notices immediately how tight Evan grips onto him. "It wasn't your fault. No one could've predicted he was there."

"I should've," Vanoss whispers. "It's my job to protect us and my own moirail almost died saving my life. I'm not a good leader."

"But you are!" Jon urges. "Even as leader, you have to make sacrifices for others. Tyler knows that. I bet you that he doesn't regret it, because I would do the exact same thing with no hesitation. We love you, Evan. Even if you weren't in my quadrants, I'd still do it."

On the table, Tyler groans, and Brock delightedly laughs as Tyler opens his eyes. "Welcome back Sleeping Beauty! You gave us quite a fright there." 

"Did I die?" Wildcat asks, struggling to sit up. Lui gently pushes him down again. "Because if I did, I totally won my bet with Brian." 

The entire crew turns to Terroriser, who slowly turns red. "Look, we made this bet before we had anyone in quadrants. That's a super old bet!"

"I'll vouch for that," Anthony admits. "It was a long time ago, so Craig don't slap your moirail."

Mini slowly lowers his hand and instead glares at Brian.

Jon slips his hand into Evan's, bringing him closer to the group. They all turn to look at Vanoss, who winces and looks down. "I'm sorry. This shouldn't have happened."

"Oh, shush!" Surprisingly, it's Nogla who speaks up. "We all know what we signed up for. This isn't your fault at all. Wildcat, you jumped in front of a bullet that was supposed to hit Vanoss. Do you regret it?"

"Absolutely not," Tyler says instantly. "And it's not just because you're my moirail. I'd still do it."

"Told you!" Jon gently smacks Evan's chest. "We love you, idiot."

Evan sniffs and wipes his tears away as they all tug him into their circle, giving him encouragement and love. It's the sappiest they've been in a very long time and it's exactly what they all needed. 

For a solid ten seconds, it's silent, and then Nogla talks again. "Hey, uh, so I realized how close it was today, and I don't care if this means I'm giving in first, but Brian I'm spades for you and I want to be your kismesis."

"FUCKIN' FINALLY!" Brian screeches and everyone bursts out laughing. "Evan, you better resign from your fuckin' auspistice job because I just WON!"

It was a very close call. Jon counts his blessings and decides to shove his nose into Evan's neck, breathing onto his love's skin to make sure he was truly okay. 

Evan looks down with such an expression of tenderness that Jon feels his heart melt. "I love you," Evan says, leaning down to kiss him. "Red and black."

"Me too," Jon laughs as he kisses him back. "We can talk about it later. Let's just sit with everyone and play video games or something because we definitely need a break. Sound good?"

Evan nods, grateful as Jon leads him to the couch. He lays with his family, looking at Tyler who's still laying on the table. "I'm keeping you here for a few hours," Brock says firmly. "It was a close call dude."

"That's fair." Tyler hums. "Evan's next to me, isn't he?"

Wordlessly, Evan lifts his hand up, and Tyler grasps onto it. "Love you, idiot." Wildcat laughs. "Get some rest. I'll still be here." 

Reassured at the thought, Evan finally lets himself drift into a well deserved deep sleep, curled up in Jon's lap and still holding onto Tyler. 

He's safe, they're safe, everyone's safe. He feels Jon kiss him on the forehead before black overtakes his vision, lulling him to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this quadrant is the most difficult one for me to write; there's not much on it, and it's a bit strange for me. oh well. 
> 
> I'm not a fan of guns, so I don't know any of them. my b.


	5. ruby red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kdsjfkdljfkdlsfj I just wanna write is that too much to ask >:( anyways thank y'all for still being here, I'm doing my best!!
> 
> (heart) red/flushed—matesprit (romantic partner)
> 
> (diamond) pale—moirail (best friend)
> 
> (club) ashen—auspistice (help deal with two people who're fighting)
> 
> (spade) black/pitch—kismesis (romantic rival)

Things are able to calm down for a while. 

While Tyler's wound heals slowly, Evan gets word that one of his allies, a man named Nanners, is able to take care of the docks and a few shipments as he takes care of his family.

 _"Don't worry,"_ Adam promises over the phone. _"You take care of your family and I'll deal with everything else. Maybe we can go celebrate with drinks in a week or two!"_

"That sounds good," Evan smiles from where he's curled up with Jon. "See you later dude." 

The goodbye echoes before Evan turns off his phone, sighing as he nestles into Jon's side. His kismesis chuckles before wrapping an arm around him. "This is extremely red, you know that right?"

"Maaaaybe," Evan hums. "I don't wanna do any gang stuff today. I want junk food, movie time, and family time."

Delirious shuffles to get more room and reaches for his phone, turning the brightness down before sending out a message. Evan cranes his head to see who he's texting.

Jon: hey brock 

Jon: evan doesn't wanna do anything today can we just eat junk food and hang out and watch movies 

Jon: pls 

Evan snorts and grins as he starts to get up. "I want fried chicken."

"FUCK yes. Hold up, Brock texted me back." Jon moves out of the bed and tosses his phone to Evan, bending down to put on some pants. At Evan's whistle, he half-heartedly flips him off. 

Brock: Sure! I'll let everyone know. See you guys soon. 

Evan yawns and looks over at Delirious, who's struggling to find a shirt. "Y'know...have we discussed that we're both really red for each other too?"

Jon freezes and looks over, eyes wide. "Uh...no. We haven't."

"Well, let's start now!" Evan pats the side of the bed. Jon slowly makes his way over and sits down, trying to ignore the shaking of his hands. "What's there to talk about?"

The atmosphere is charged with an emotion that Vanoss can't describe. He gently takes Jon's hands, holding them in his. "A lot of things, Del. When I first met you, I was honestly red for you. I saw Delirious all the time; the masked man that would do anything for his moirail and his moirail's matesprit. You were so _intriguing._ And then we went on heists together and you challenged every rule I had and did things your own way."

Jon allows himself to laugh a bit. “It was fun to rile you up. You wouldn’t risk taking off your mask so I’d see you just stare at me and it was my favorite thing.”

Evan rolls his eyes and continues. “And then you weren’t Delirious, you were Jon, and being able to see your face was something beautiful. That was when I’d be able to get you back because I’d see the emotion.”

As if to prove his point, he squeezes Jon’s hands, and Jon exhales and looks away for a moment. “You’re gorgeous with and without the mask.”

Jon gives him a grateful smile. "So you want to be red and black? Vacillate?"

"Yeah!" Evan says happily. "I'd love that."

They both lean in at the same time to kiss each other. At the same time, something thumps outside their door, and they sigh and get up. Evan throws open his door to spot Tyler grinning at him, positioned on top of Marcel, Brian, Anthony, and Nogla. The latter Irishman is currently wheezing, being crushed into the floor by the other boys. "You guys are dumbasses," Evan says affectionately. 

"Soooo?" Tyler prompts. "Did my dear moirail find himself a matesprit?"

"He did!" Jon grins as he crushes Evan into a hug. "How long were you waiting out there?"

"Long...enough..." Nogla wheezes from under Anthony. 

Tyler gets off Marcel and the entire stack collapses. Poor Nogla can't even get up from the floor, choosing instead to lay there. "Well!" Tyler says, satisfied. "We've only got one more red relationship to set up. Congrats you two, and Delirious, if you ever hurt my moirail I will not hesitate to stick my baseball bat up your ass and give you splinters in your teeth."

"Duly noted," Jon snickers. Behind Marcel, Brian pales and turns to leave. Marcel grins and catches him by the arm. "Oh no Brian, this is all about you right now! Evan's orders today; we don't have to do anything! Time to get you with Brock."

The two of them run off with Anthony in tow. Jon pecks Evan on the cheek and rushes off, stopping to pick up Nogla and dragging him on his quest to find Luke and tell him the good news.

It's just Evan and Tyler. 

"Wanna have a quick pile?" Evan asks, and laughs loudly at how fast Tyler rushes to the bed and wraps a blanket around himself. "That's a yes then?"

His moirail drags him into the pile and exhales. "Dude, Craig is so fucking awesome. I'm genuinely happy I'm dating him."

"Hey! We're the same!" Evan says happily. "We've both got partners who vacillate."

Tyler snorts and buries his face in Evan's hair, sighing. "I know you've been worrying about me. Look, the wound is closing up. It's not infected, it's healing well, and I'm okay."

"I know," Evan groans. His hands subconsciously reach down to grip Tyler's shirt. There's a faint image of blood that only Evan can see. Tyler's clothes are clean, there's not a speck of blood or stains anywhere, but FUCK it's so daunting to remember what happened a few weeks ago.

The wound has a fresh bandage over it, still slowly healing. Tyler wasn't allowed to handle heavy things which was driving him mad. For the time being, his spot was taken by Delirious in the vanguard, and luckily for everyone Tyler knew he was the best replacement for now and barely caused any fuss about the decision.

Wildcat pats his head and gets up with a grin. "Wanna watch Brian blush and stutter his way around Brock until he cracks and says something? We've got a betting pool going on. So far, I think Nogla's winning, but he's in it for those two to get together and to also piss Brian off at the same time."

"Spoken like a true kismesis," Evan laughs. "Hell yeah dude. Let's go get some food, I'm starving."

The moirails get up and head off, walking down the hall to hear Brian screech at the top of his lungs. "SUCK MY ASS!"

"That's Brock's job," Anthony calls from somewhere in the distance. 

Evan sits down on the couch. Tyler takes his left, Jon takes his right, and Craig perches on the arm near Tyler, reaching over to ruffle his matesprit's hair. "Hey babe!"

"Sup loser," Tyler responds, grinning as Craig narrows his eyes. "What? You do realize that there's never going to be a set schedule and I'm just gonna flip red and black, right??"

"And yet I still love you," Craig sighs as he leans down to kiss him. "Is today the day Brian confesses?"

Brian whirls around from his spot with Daithi, glaring at Mini. "You're my moirail you asshole, you're not supposed to rat me out!"

"Well yeah, but when you're being a dumb shit I'm gonna slap some sense into you and then help you!" Mini insists. "This is the price you pay for being my palemate."

"Where's Brock anyways?" Evan asks as Jon leans on his shoulder. The latter just points to the door. "He went with Ryan to get some fried chicken. Thank you for giving us the days off, by the way, we're all pretty exhausted and we needed this. Smitty went to go visit his mom with John, something about introducing the love of his life to his parent and all that shit."

Evan's becoming more aware of the emotional ties going on in the crew. Due to being the gang that runs Los Santos, they have a reputation to uphold. No one ever said it would be easy, and they were all in their 20's while a few were in their 30's. It was just how it had to be. To this day, none of the boys regretted it, but some of them wished their entrance to the BBS would've been a lot easier.

Brock was definitely one of those people. 

Shaking off the memories, Evan lets his fingers trail over Jon's arm and looks up when the front door opens. "We're back!" Ryan says cheerfully as Luke goes to grab the bags in his arms. "We got the very last of the fries, they actually had to make a new batch when we left."

"Fuck yeah!" Marcel grins as he and Scotty grab plates. "We've been waiting forever!"

Everyone else sits at the table and joins in, snatching food and devouring it. As Evan gets up, he spots Brock shyly glancing at Brian before hurrying to his spot next to Anthony. Lui tosses a French fry at Daithi, who misses and squawks as Tyler dives for it. "YOU BITCH!"

Evan silently makes his way to Brian. The Irishman flinches as he realizes who's speaking in his ear. "You should talk to him," Vanoss murmurs. "I resolved mine with Delirious before it got unbearable, but Tyler was dying for the longest time before I said anything about being moirails and before he grew a pair of balls for Mini."

Brian glances at him. "Ya think so?"

"I know so." Evan confirms. "I can also tell you with certainty that Brock's been looking over here for the past minute. He genuinely cares for you too, idiot."

Terroriser exhales and closes his eyes, reopening them with a fire in his irises. "Okay. I fucking got this."

He strides off to stand near Brock; their medic glances up, eyes wide as he sees how tense his crush is. "Brian?"

"Brock," Terroriser starts, "There's something I have to talk to you about. Can I talk to you somewhere private?"

Tyler actually chokes on his food while Nogla gasps. Lui has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face as he nudges Anthony, who groans and starts to pull out his wallet. "GodDAMN IT!"

Brock's cheeks are rapidly turning red as he gets up and nods. The two of them head off and Evan turns to his crew with a grin. "As of today, Daithi and Lui have won the betting pool, so congrats you two, and we'll congratulate those two lovebirds when they get back into the room." Everyone sighs and pulls out various amounts of cash. 

Ohm looks like he's close to tears. Luke gently nudges him, smiling and holding his hand. "You alright?"

"It's so sweet," Ryan sniffs. "They're really made for each other." Luke just laughs and presses a kiss to his cheek.

"Might wanna watch out Ohm!" Mini taunts from across the table. "Wouldn't want Smitty to know about this!"

"Hey, my kismesis could kick your ass in memes!" Ryan immediately shouts. "Talk shit, get hit!"

Evan just watches his family with pride. He loves them so much, honestly. Despite the amount of shit they had to go through to ensure that they'd come back alive, this was the life he'd been given and he's okay with that.

His phone buzzes. 

Brian: Hey Ev 

Brian: Go ahead and eat without us, we'll be uh 

Brian: Busy 

At that, Evan laughs out loud and Jon turns to him with a raised eyebrow.

Evan: well that's good to know! we'll save some food for you 

Evan: also Nogla and Lui won the betting pool so you're probs gonna have to deal with his shit later 

The yell that echoes through the house makes the entire group laugh, especially Craig as he thinks of his moirail losing his shit.

Evan: see you later! ;) 

On top of the table, Delirious takes Evan's hand, and the owl flashes him a look of pure affection before shoving a chicken strip in Jon's mouth, laughing as his matesprit/kismesis splutters and lunges over with love in his eyes and a mischievous grin on his face.

Tyler rolls his eyes and pretends to gag. "Idiots," he says fondly, and the rest of the gang continues to eat as if everything that was happening was normal.

And honestly, it really was, and that was what made their bonds so strong and indestructible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as per usual, I have another story in the making. I'll probs post it soon or w/e
> 
> DELIRIOUS HIT 10 MILLION SUBS CONGRATS MY LOVE


	6. our paths intertwined, always and forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you everyone for joining me on this story! I always appreciate every comment and kudos, they mean the world!
> 
> <33
> 
> (heart) red/flushed—matesprit (romantic partner)
> 
> (diamond) pale—moirail (best friend)
> 
> (club) ashen—auspistice (help deal with two people who're fighting)
> 
> (spade) black/pitch—kismesis (romantic rival)

When Brock begs for a day to spend in the park, Evan can’t say no to his puppy dog eyes, so the gang packs a picnic into Tyler’s truck, pile into various cars, and drive to the local park. 

Their vacation is nearly over, so they intend to make the most of it. Evan takes Jon’s hand when they get out; his other hand grasps onto one of the three picnic baskets they brought.

The joke is, the picnic basket that Brock is carrying has food in it. The other basket that Smitty’s currently carrying has utensils and drinks inside.

The basket Evan’s carrying has a shitload of guns and knives in it. Precaution, y’know? A gang leader can never be too prepared. 

“It’s beautiful outside,” Craig breathes, staring up at the sky. Tyler just glances at his boyfriend and tries not to smile. 

Marcel just sighs and grumpily glares at the sky. “It’s really warm out,” he complains, and Scotty nudges his shoulder because he knows his matesprit/moirail prefers the days where it rains and the clouds cover the sun’s fiery rays. 

They set up camp along a stream that runs through the park. It really is a gorgeous day; kids are laughing as they swing on the playground and their parents watch as they gossip about the news. Kites are flying in the sky as blankets get thrown out and they settle down, chatting amongst themselves.

Brock hums as he opens up one basket and sets a plate of sandwiches on the ground. “I have ham and cheese, pb&j, some lettuce stuff, and whoever made their own sandwich with mustard better grab it because it’s disgusting.”

“That’d be me!” Nogla says excitedly, reaching over to grab it. The entire gang gives him incredulous looks; the Irishman simply ignores them as he unpackages it and plops it on a plate that Lui hands him. 

“You are so fucking gross,” Brian growls under his breath. “I’d bite you or something, but I really don’t want to taste mustard on your fucking tongue.”

“Try me bitch,” Nogla snaps back to the laughter of everyone. 

Evan allows himself to relax with Jon on his right and Tyler to his left. Craig sits next to Tyler, Brian and then Brock and so on and so forth. It's peaceful, it seems right to them that they have a day of comfort for themselves. 

Quadrants are something that Evan was familiar with now. Having a matesprit meant loving them for everything they were, including the flaws. Having a kismesis meant challenging them to be better, to see their true potential and to love them but to hate them sometimes too.

Having a moirail meant to share your deepest secrets and to trust in them always. And now Evan had all of them; he had even dabbled in the ashen quadrant, even if it was short-lived. 

Brock and Brian's matespritship got on well. They both loved each other and always had each other's backs. The latter's pale quadrant with Craig worked out beautifully; they really balanced each other out. 

Marcel and Scotty, Brian and Nogla, Smitty and Ryan...they _worked._ They were all compatible in their own ways. They all loved each other, even if they weren't in quadrants.

Brock cared for everyone in the group. Tyler was the protective brother and Lui was the younger one they all took care of. 

They were a family. A _family._

"Evan?" Tyler's voice shakes him out of his thoughts. He glances over at his moirail; Tyler's bright blue eyes are a bit worried and his sandy hair is ruffled as always. He's already leaning over with a comforting hand. Evan takes it and rubs his finger over his palm, smiling at him. "Yeah?"

"You alright?" Tyler asks, quietly so he doesn't disturb the others. Smitty and Scott have started a chugging contest, Marcel and John cheering on their loves while everyone else shouts and places bets. After a moment or two, Smitty slams his soda down and screams "FUCK _YEAH"_ as Scotty screeches loudly. 

Evan laughs a bit before smiling again at his moirail. "Yeah. I'm good. Just...feeling appreciative. You guys are awesome."

Tyler snorts before dragging the infamous gang leader into a headlock. "Don't get all sentimental on me, loser. This is the life we get to have. Be proud, my dude. You're loved and respected and also feared and that's pretty cool."

"Who's the one getting sentimental?" Evan teases, laughing as he gets released. Craig pounces on his boyfriend and coos in his ear. "Aw babe! Getting all lovey-dovey?"

"Fuck off," Tyler immediately replies, making Craig laugh even harder.

Evan grabs a pb&j sandwich and chows down, leaning back on Jon as he glances up at the love of his life. Delirious is giggling at something Ryan said, head tossed back and laughing. Luke looks on fondly, glancing between his matesprit and moirail. 

As he looks around the picnic, Brock catches his eye. His beloved friend and medic smiles at him and relaxes into Brian's arms; Evan tries not to laugh as he notices how easily Brian wraps an arm around his matesprit. 

The crew finishes their various sandwiches and toss chips at each other. Jon looks down at Evan and kisses him, grinning as Evan sighs in pure love. "You doin' alright babe?"

"Yep!" Evan snickers. "Happy and in love."

"Tyler's right, you're being sentimental and I'm loving it." Jon comments, kissing him again. 

"Is it a kiss fest?" John hollers from across the picnic blanket. He doesn't waste a second before dipping Smitty into a long kiss, the Canadian squawking as he struggles to hold onto his boyfriend. 

Evan bursts out laughing as he watches his gang descend into kisses. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Nogla and Lui get up. The shorter one whispers something in Daithi's ear; the Irishman nods before stepping towards the third picnic basket. 

Lui jogs towards the families at the playground. Evan watches as he says something to them, gesturing frantically with his hands. One of the women nods and Lui relaxes as she gathers her children and rushes for the rest of them to leave as soon as possible.

Tyler and Craig have already caught on; Jon slips a knife into his hoodie pocket as he distributes guns around the crew. Brock sighs as he gets up, beckoning Smitty and John with him. Anthony, apparently in the pale quadrant with Ohm, hands his moirail a gun and turns the safety on his own off. 

"We just can't catch a break, can we?" Marcel sighs as he looks around. 

Lui laughs as he comes jogging back with a baseball bat; he tosses it to Tyler and shrugs as they all get up, silently communicating as to where the rival gang was. "We wouldn't be the protectors of Los Santos if we 'took a break', y'know."

"All I'm saying is, I'm not watching our clothes when we get home." Marcel declares as Scotty gets his back. Evan cocks his gun and fires off a single round, watching as a figure in the distance slumps over. "First blood."

"Fuck!" Luke swears. "I thought I had that call today. Shit man, I have to wait till the next one."

"Dumbass," Delirious says fondly. 

Gunfire fills the air as the BBS does what they do best; cause chaos and havoc as they shoot at the invaders. As of right now, their priority is to get their medic and hackers to safety and pick off the main group. They could afford to leave stragglers this time as they hustle towards the cars. 

Somehow, they luck out. No one is shot and Evan feels the usual exhilaration as he hops into Tyler's passenger seat, his moirail flooring it as Brock, Smitty, and John sit in the backseat strapped in with eyes wide. "Remind me to not head down the highway with you!" Smitty shouts over the noise, grinning as John holds his hand. 

They all make it home safe, and as they park, Tyler catches Evan's eye and smirks. 

Evan returns it; yeah, this is the life he's proud to have, and he really does truly love these idiots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowzers homestuck quadrants are fun to write.
> 
> I'll have you guys know that I finished watching Stranger Things s2 while writing this chapter and holy fuck what a show. I love it so much.

**Author's Note:**

> it's like poly, kinda? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
